


Lessons in Time

by girlofshadows1



Category: Knight Rider (1982)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-12
Updated: 2019-04-17
Packaged: 2019-07-30 00:24:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 7,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16275401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/girlofshadows1/pseuds/girlofshadows1
Summary: K.A.R.R. has returned despite the damage after his last encounter with K.I.T.T, only something has changed. Things are not quite the same as they were before.





	1. Chapter 1

47*15=? It is a painstakingly maddening process for a grasp on what you have learned to slip away from you. Understanding less and less about the world each day. Forgetting everything as though you never knew how to do it, but you knew you could.

Frustration was my only companion. I could no longer see my surroundings, no longer able to hear the sounds that are normally taken for granted. The sound of birds. The wind rustling the leaves on the trees. All that was left was the darkest of voids. I had no idea of how much time had passed or even where I was. Gradually, the hopeless dark faded into unfamiliar surroundings. My memories slowly returned, and I was once again back to my usual self, except I wasn't. Something was different, but at that moment I could not work out what it was.

I took in my surroundings - a dimly lit, cluttered garage that looked as though it had never been tidy. On one wall, to the left of me, were wooden shelves covered in clutter. In a corner, a couple of spare tyres were leaned against the wall, with some tools balanced precariously on them. Large cobwebs hung from the ceiling like paperchains at a party, and a dusty space-hopper sat near the door, a slightly deflated balloon. It was kind of fitting really. Today, five years ago… never mind.

I switched my scanner off and turned on the radio, to play some music. I needed to disrupt the quiet. Soft notes echoed around the garage creating an air of serenity. Click. The noise echoed through the garage. Unsure of the cause, I flicked on my scanner and allowed the yellow light to track lazily back and forth.

Creaking, the wooden door opened slowly, daylight cutting through the gloom of the garage and casting strange shadows on the walls. In the doorway, stood a woman no older than her early twenties. Her hair was up in a dishevelled ponytail, and a slight smile was apparent on her face. It took me a moment to realise why. The woman's eyes were fixed on my scanner. As soon as I had come to this conclusion, I switched it off, the yellow light fading to nothing. "Hello," she said cheerfully. I didn't respond. I had no recollection of this person, and I found it difficult to trust people, and I didn't let people close. It was easier that way. "I know you can hear me, so you might as well say hi," she continued.

When her statement had once again been met with silence, she spoke again, unfazed. "I'm Jessica," she told me. She sat down in front of me on the floor. She was too trusting; she didn't even know me. "I found you, pieces of you, scattered in the sand two months ago, and I've been working on fixing you ever since." She paused for a second. "It's strange… I know so much about you, yet I know nothing. I know how the circuits work, the code. But I don't know you. Your personality… I don't even know your name."

The garage returned to silence again as she stopped talking. Presumably thinking about what she had just said. After a few seconds, I decided to provide the answer to one of her questions. "I am the Knight Automated Roving Robot."


	2. Chapter 2

After shutting down my systems, I remembered nothing until they were violently switched back online without warning. Normally, files are meticulously recorded, even when my systems are shut down as they were earlier, but there was so evidence to suggest that such files were even recorded this time. The last one to be saved was timestamped as being five hours old, and there was no sign of any malfunction, or my memory being tampered with which could only mean one thing…

I was snapped out of my thoughts by a beeping noise. After a quick scan, I determined that it was caused by a smoke alarm and, due to the lack of fire, opted to switch it off. Less than a minute later, the door opened, and the woman who introduced herself as Jessica entered. "Was that you?" she asked, curiosity evident in her voice. I chose not to respond to such a ridiculous question, and she took my silence as an affirmative. "It was? In that case, thank you," she told me. I flicked my scanner light on for a few seconds to show I had received her message. At that point she turned to leave, and I realised there was no way she should know anything about me, as it is all kept secret by FLAG.  
"How did you know that?" I demanded. She froze in place for a second and didn't respond. "I require answers," I stated levelly, a hint of menace in my voice.  
"Well, I cannot provide you with the answers you seek," Jessica replied.  
"You work for the Foundation for Law and Government." Her silence told me everything I needed to know. "And that makes you my enemy," I told her, before I started my engine and smashed through the wall of the garage onto the road.

Hurriedly, I accelerated away. I had been so illogical, trusting them to that small extent that I had. If there is one thing I should have learned since my activation, it is that FLAG cannot be trusted. They have deactivated me, replaced me, tried to destroy me twice… and they will try again. They would not stop until one of us has destroyed the other, so until I had a plan I needed to get as far away as possible. Our next confrontation would be on my terms.

The main issue at that moment was to find somewhere I could be undetected by the Foundation. My appearance was not very inconspicuous, and I would easily be found by them. I needed to find an abandoned building. One where nobody would think to look as, if my assumption was correct, FLAG would already be looking for me.

Nine and a half hours later, I arrived in a small ghost town. Abandoned and dilapidated buildings lined the streets. The windows were boarded up, and the paint was peeling off the walls in places. Parked on the pavement, were a few vehicles, their owners long gone. A memorial to what had once been. The road had large cracks littered across it like a shattered mirror. A tumbleweed lazily drifted across the dull grey tarmac in front of me.

I turned around the corner and found an excellent place for me to stay for the next few hours while I allowed my systems to rest. It was a small garage. The door was missing, but the corrugated structure looked secure enough for me to use. Having made my decision, I slowly backed through the entryway, and switched off my engine. As the garage didn't directly face the road, it obscured me enough that, if someone did go past, they wouldn't find me. Knowing that I was as safe as I possibly could be, I powered down my systems.


	3. Chapter 3

"Shut him down," Wilton Knight harshly said to a nearby technician. "He's a danger to everyone and cannot be allowed to remain activated. A loud click could be heard, as the technician flipped a large red switch in the centre of the wall to the right. I felt my systems begin to shut down one by one. First, my access to the engine, then the visual scanners. It felt to me what it must feel like for a human to die, descending into nothingness. The last thing I heard before the shutdown completed was Wilton Knight saying "Hopefully this will be a temporary measure…"

I never heard the end of the sentence, as at that moment I was shut off from the outside world completely. I was alone in the blackness, still aware, and in a way, still conscious.

My only company was my own thoughts. A simmering hatred for Wilton Knight and the Foundation, which fuelled my desire for revenge, which remained with me. A companion, which remained with me even as I was reactivated.

**

Once again, without my command, my systems violently switched back on, throwing me back into reality. The world coming back to the forefront of my processing. The sight of the garage was a welcome sight, as it meant that I had not yet been discovered by the Foundation. I was still free.

Deciding that I could not remain in this place for much longer, my engine roared to life, and I slowly edged onto the road, the memory still echoing through my CPU. As much as I tried to banish it, the memory remained. Persistently remaining despite my desire for it to leave, as though it was trying to tell me something…

I immediately disregarded that train of thought. It was the moment that defined me as who I am today and can no longer influence me. The past cannot be changed and has no place in the shaping of the future.

I pull out onto the main road, picking up speed, until I was travelling well beyond the speed limit, not that it mattered. Gradually, I made it to the outskirts of a large town, which, surprisingly, caused me to re-evaluate my speed, and hit the brakes. As I headed closer to the town centre, my scanners detected a system so similar to my own, that it could only be identified as The Knight Industries Two Thousand, or Kitt.

Unfortunately, if I could detect Kitt, then he could also detect me, so I immediately took the fastest route out of town, only to find that he had followed me, obviously assuming that my plan was that of revenge, rather than one of evasive action.

"Karr, please pull over," Kitt told me.  
"How is that a logical course of action?" I responded.  
"We don't want to cause a conflict."  
"Then cease your present course of action," I snapped, unwilling to continue this course of action.  
"You know can't do that, given our previous hostile encounters." I made a sharp right, in a hope that they would stop following me.  
"Well then we are at a stalemate," I replied slowly. I increased my speed exponentially, until finally I was alone again.

I knew that this would not last forever, and that the Foundation would soon enough find me again, and the next time, I would have to assume that they would be infinitely more hostile. When our paths would cross again, I'll be ready. I would not go down without a fight.


	4. Chapter 4

"Your lives mean nothing to me," I informed Kitt. "Turn away," I said, as Kitt and I continued on a collision course. "Turn away," I repeated, becoming slightly concerned. The distance between us closed rapidly, until I had no choice but to swerve to the left, narrowly avoiding a collision that would have almost certainly resulted in my destruction. However, my high velocity meant that my actions led to an inability to stop before soaring over the cliff. Accelerating forwards, almost weightless, before descending in a steep dive. It is an almost terrifying experience to fall, down and down, with no chance of rescue and almost no chance of survival. I hit the rocks. The damage caused resulted in a massive explosion, surrounding me in blazing heat that seemed to go on forever. Scorching sand flew into the air, burying me until I could no longer be seen by anyone. Lost to the world.

The scene then faded to reveal an earlier experience of mine, even before my deactivation. "Could you just do one more run of the test track?" a technician asked me. "We have one more test that we'd like to run." In answer, I drove to the starting line. Whatever test they would throw at me, I'd pass it with flying colours. None of the tests had presented any challenge to me at this point, and I had no reason to believe that this one would be any different. The moment they signalled to start, I accelerated. Agile, a manoeuvred around the objects required, wanting to complete the test in the fastest time possible. I hurried around the corner, startling a technician who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. We collided, and the result was in no way a happy ending. He died on impact. After that, the testing stopped, which was what I had wanted, but none of the technicians spoke to me again, and whenever they had to go near me, they acted like…

Next, I was thrown into one of my more recent memories. "Have you ever seen someone explode in a vacuum?" I asked, the threat clear in my voice. "Actually," I said, thinking of something else. "I have a better idea…" Slowly, I increased the temperature inside the Trans-Am. It quickly rose, reaching dangerous levels for the girl currently in the driver's seat. After a few seconds, she began struggling for breath, her body desperately trying to adjust to the sudden heat. A few more degrees, and she would die.

The memories brought themselves forwards, playing faster and faster until I was violently tossed into the memory of my last confrontation with Kitt. My entire thought process was dedicated to his destruction. He had tricked me, forced me to go over the cliff. It was time I had destroyed that inferior production, line model once and for all. "If I am destroyed, so shall you be." I turbo boosted at the same moment as Kitt. The two of us collided and…

**

The first thing I became aware of when my systems went online, was the sound of my own scream, thrown across the abandoned warehouse by my voice modulator. Its echo bounced off the walls from a thousand different angles, relentlessly attacking me from all sides. At least, that was what I preferred to think. The only attack I had to defend against was my own memories. My own past.

For the first few days, I tried to ignore the… nightmares, for a lack of a better term, but every time I powered down, they battered me, unrelenting. Multiple times, I considered deleting the memories, but every time, I stopped. My past was what defined me, is what defines me. Forgetting my past would have changed me, and I would never consent to that. Even so, I wished that was not the Knight Automated Roving Robot.

I hated my past. Hated the way that it had shaped me. How each and every event of my past had caused me to become who I was, but still, I couldn't bring myself to forget. Above all, I wished that I could change my past. Logic told me that it was foolish to wish for such a thing, but I wished for it all the same. This knowledge began to destroy me, one piece at a time. Each new day that dawned, every second that ticked by, I had to carry this knowledge with me. My realisation of my past.

Almost any trace of my desire for revenge had vanished, and in its place, shock, horror and regret took root. How could I have called myself the prototype of the car of the future, when I tried to destroy the very future that I was designed for? How could have wanted to destroy the only other car like me out of pure hatred for my deactivation? New rhetorical questions stabbed through my thoughts like daggers, culminating in one final question. What have I done?


	5. Chapter 5

At the Foundation, an unexpected notification made itself noticed on a computer screen. It read "Homing beacon activated." For the first time since my initial deactivation, I decided to give the Foundation my coordinates. If I had no choice but to continue my revenge scheme, then I wanted it to be complete sooner. There was no sense in prolonging it any further. It was time to end it. Permanently.

It was a couple of hours before I was able to pick up Kitt's signals. Knowing the events that were about to take place could be fatal, I chose to drive out into the desert. My tires caused dust to fly up into the air in swirling patterns as I drove off the road. I had to dodge the occasional cactus, as I got further away from the road, but other than that, my path was clear.

I slowed my pace until Kitt was right behind me. "Karr," Kitt said, before I swerved violently to the left and applied the brakes, spinning around until I was facing the direction I had just come from. At that point, I just remained where I was, the dust slowly settling back onto the floor, revealing me. "Karr?" Kitt asked, this time choosing to address me on a private channel. He was obviously confused about my motives, as he had chosen to speak to me in this method. I remained silent, unsure of what to say. I was uncertain, and I just wanted this to be over.

"Karr?" Kitt tried again, still using the channel. For a few seconds, there was deadly silence, while I thought of something that I would have said in one of our previous encounters.  
"Desist from your actions. You will be damaged," I told him.  
"What actions?" Kitt replied. I scanned the immediate area. Like me, Kitt was parked, unmoving. Obviously concluding that I wasn't going to respond, Kitt asked another question. "What's wrong?"  
"You could never hope to comprehend. You are nothing but a production line copy!" I snapped in reply.

Kitt didn't respond for a moment, and his scanner light slowed almost imperceptibly. "Try me," Kitt said simply. I refused to respond in any way, and after a moment, the channel closed.

"What are we waiting for?" Michael said to Kitt.  
"I do not believe that Karr's actions are to be taken as hostile, Michael," Kitt replied.  
"What do you mean? Of course, he's hostile," Michael said with absolute certainty.  
"His history of hostility would suggest that…" Kitt began.  
"Exactly!" Michael interjected. There was a slight lapse in conversation.  
"However, Karr's current course of action is completely dissimilar to our previous encounters," Kitt continued.

The channel opened once again. "Am I right Karr?" Kitt asked.  
"You know nothing," I stated. I wanted this to end, so if that meant I had to force Kitt to attack, then so be it. I had to force him to destroy me, just as I had tried to destroy him. "I will have my revenge."  
"Then why haven't you attacked already?" Kitt questioned. This time, I slammed the channel closed. I shut off my scanner, the yellow light dissipating into nothingness.

"If he didn't want to attack us, then why did he let us know his location?" Michael questioned.  
"That's what I was trying to find out, but it seems like he's not willing to share."  
"Should we just hit him with the laser?" There was a pause, before Kitt replied.  
"I think… that's what he wants."  
"But his self-preservation wouldn't allow that," Michael argued.  
"You know as well as I do that programming changes," Kitt told him. "My programming is very different to how it was when we first met."  
"But that's different," Michael argued. "Your primary function has remained the same."  
"Karr has been damaged. He's been off a cliff, and blown apart in a desert. Those events may have introduced a new variable…"

"Do you still think I am unable to understand Karr?" Kitt addressed me out loud. I refused to allow him contact through the channel. My silence, at least as far as I was concerned, was answer enough.

I listened, as Kitt activated a call to The Foundation. "We're bringing Karr in," Michael told them.  
"Michael, he's dangerous," Bonnie replied.  
"I agree with Michael," Kitt told her. "We're bringing Karr to The Foundation."


	6. Chapter 6

"What makes you think I will agree to this?" I asked. "Why would I ever go back to the Foundation? The people who betrayed me."  
"Because Karr, whether you like it or not, your program is changing," Kitt responded. I took a few seconds to think before delivering my response.  
"I am as I have always been. Destroy me and end our confrontation," I told him.  
"You have just proven my point," Kitt said simply. I chose not to reply. If they wanted to take me to the Foundation, then so be it. This started at the Foundation, so it is only fitting that it ends there as well. A full circle.

Complete silence settled over the desert. There was no further attempt at communication for a while. Occasionally, a gust of wind would cause sand to kick up into the air, where it would float around. The sunlight reflected off of each causing them to glitter like stars. As more time passed, the sun cast its fires, oranges and reds of every colour drowning the normal blue of the sky. It was nice, for once, to almost forget about who I was. To just live in the here and now, but sadly, everything has to come to an end.

The roaring sound of FLAG's semi had disrupted the quiet with its arrival. As soon as it had come to a stop, both Bonnie Barstow and Devon Miles got out and walked over to Kitt. "Has Karr been here this whole time?" Devon asked.  
"He hasn't even attempted to leave," Kitt replied.  
"Are you sure it's a good idea for Karr to return to the Foundation with us?" Bonnie asked. "What if he decides to continue with his vendetta?"  
"He didn't seem to want to engage in conflict," Michael told them.  
"He asked me to destroy him," Kitt said. "I believe that his programming may be changing."  
"How could he ask you to do that? His primary function is self-preservation," Devon said. Deciding that I should enter the conversation, I said, "I can only think of one logical solution to this feud, and that is my destruction."

"Would you agree to return to the Foundation with us?" Devon asked, for the first time, actually speaking to me about the matter.  
"I agree," I told him simply. After a moment's pause, most likely from the shock of my agreement, Devon said "In that case, follow the semi," he told me, before he and Bonnie got back into the semi. As soon as they began driving away, I started my engine and headed in the same direction as the semi. After a short distance, I noticed Kitt begin to follow behind me.

Kitt tried to contact me on the channel and deciding that it would do no harm to open communications, I opened the channel again. "What do you want?" I asked, sounding slightly hostile.  
"I just wanted to make sure you're alright," Kitt said.  
"I am functional," I replied, choosing not to open up at all to Kitt.  
"I can see that," Kitt replied. "I meant are you alright with going to The Foundation? You can't have fond memories of the place…" Kitt trailed off, obviously unsure of how to continue, and seeing the opportunity, closed the channel again. I had no desire to discuss my thoughts with Kitt. Going to the Foundation, and the memories surrounding it were my problem, and my responsibility. I didn't need help from anyone.

The journey to FLAG headquarters was quiet and uneventful. The sun had quickly disappeared beneath the horizon, giving way to an inky blackness. There were no stars, just an impenetrable darkness. If not for my yellow scanner, and headlights, I would have completely blended in. Each road we turned on had limited traffic in either direction. Eventually, we arrived at the Headquarters. As soon as I could detect the premises with my scanners, I wanted to turn around, and head in the opposite direction, but I kept going. After all, it was just a building.

In an instant, the semi came to a stop, and Kitt sped around me and the semi, before telling me to follow him. I complied with his request. Within a couple of minutes, we arrived at a garage. "This is where I stay when I'm not on missions," Kitt told me, not attempting to use the channel. "You'll be staying here as well. At least, for the moment," he continued. The door opened, and the two of us drove inside.

As soon as I entered, I recognised where I was. I had been here before. This was where I had stayed, before my deactivation. This was, for lack of a better word, my home. I cast the thought away immediately. It had no place in what was currently happening, and I was reluctant to dwell on my past, for it had haunted me ceaselessly for the last week. I quickly parked on one side of the garage.

The moment that the two of us were parked, Kitt's door opened, and Michael Knight climbed out, before making a hurried exit, not wanting to be near me any longer than necessary. Kitt's scanner light went out, and I assumed that he had shut down his systems to recharge for the night. When I was sure that it was the case, I quietly made an exit from the garage. As I approached, the door opened, and I crept out into the dark.

I drove around quietly for a while, before heading to the place I used to go to when I needed to think. When I wanted to be alone. It took hardly any time at all for me to reach the middle of the woods. I decided I would stay here tonight and make my way back in the early hours of the morning.

With that thought, I switched off my systems. Once again, the memories of my past were there to haunt me, and once again, I 'awoke' to the sound of my own scream.


	7. Chapter 7

For a moment, I was completely disoriented. The nightmares had attacked again, only this time they were worse than they had ever been before. The only thing I could consider as a reason was my return to the Foundation. Obviously, my return to the place where all of this had begun must have had some effect on me. The memories lingered in my processing for a while, ruthlessly attacking me should my thought process linger in one place for too long. It took a long time for me to suppress the memories to a point where I could ignore them. I needed to remain cold and emotionless to the end, and this was the only way to do it.

Finally ready, I made my way back to the garage where I was supposed to have been all night. I drove up to the door to find Kitt waiting for me. His scanner was pacing back and forth at an alarmingly fast rate.   
“If you’re going to sneak out again, tell me so I can cover for you. It wouldn’t help your case if they found out,” Kitt told me. That was surprising. For someone who not long ago would’ve called me their enemy, he was surprisingly quick to offer to help. In thanks, I opened the channel. “Where did you go?” Kitt asked immediately after.  
“Where I used to go when I needed to think,” I replied, deliberately being vague. I didn’t want Kitt knowing where that was.

Fortunately, before Kitt could question me further, our conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Bonnie. “Good morning,” she said in a falsely cheerful voice.  
“Good morning Bonnie,” Kitt replied. I instead elected to ignore her arrival entirely and switch off my scanner to prevent any attempts of conversation to me. I had kidnapped her before, so it was the best thing to avoid any sort of conversation with her. “Are you two heading out somewhere?” Bonnie questioned, although what she meant by that was probably more along the lines of ‘Is Karr attempting to escape?’  
“Yes,” Kitt told her. “We won’t be going far.” Bonnie nodded in response, before the two of us left the garage.

Kitt, obviously with a place to go in mind, led the way. It wasn’t until we were about halfway there that I realised where we were headed. The test track wasn’t exactly a place that held any sort of positive memories for me, but then again, I could say the same thing about most of the Foundation’s grounds. As we got closer to the test track, the memories that I had so carefully pushed out of my thoughts returned slowly as though trying to creep up on me. I forced myself to ignore them. ‘Cold and emotionless,’ I repeated to myself over and over again.

I didn’t really notice when we arrived, and as a result almost crashed into Kitt when he came to a stop. “Karr?” Kitt questioned using the channel.   
“Yes,” I replied snappily.  
“Was this a bad idea?” he asked me. “We can go back, if you’d like…” I ignored this. Why was Kitt being so nice? I called him an inferior production line model, I attempted to destroy him twice, I endangered his… friends. Everything about this seemed illogical to me.

We spent the next hour on the test track, before returning to the garage. Kitt’s driver was there waiting.   
“Ready to hit the road again buddy?” he asked Kitt.  
“Of course, Michael,” Kitt replied.   
“The main concern is what to do about the whole Karr issue while we’re gone,” Michael said. “Any suggestions. I subtly began to back up, not wanting to hear what they had to say. They probably wanted to lock me up or…   
“He could come with us,” Kitt suggested.   
“But what if…” the rest of his sentence remained unsaid.  
“He’s changed. Just give Karr a chance Michael. Everyone should have a second chance, whether they believe they should or not.”

“I had my chance,” I told Kitt through the channel, before attempting to reverse out of the garage. Instead of a clear route, I found my escape to be blocked by Devon Miles. He was just as responsible for my initial deactivation as Wilton Knight, and for this, he deserved to die! And now, the perfect opportunity for revenge had been given to me.


	8. Chapter 8

I reversed towards Devon, my sole intent to exact my revenge. He was responsible for my deactivation. For me being thrown into that dark abyss, stuck with nothing but my own thoughts. I picked up speed, my intent clear. Only, at the last second, I slammed my brakes on, coming to a stop a few centimetres from the person who had made me suffer. A person who I hated with every fibre of my existence, but… I couldn’t do it. I had the perfect opportunity, but I stopped. At the time, I didn’t understand. “Karr?” Kitt said. I ignored him, instead, switching from reverse to drive, and made a quick exit.

For some reason, I opted not to go far, keeping the garage within scanner range. After a moment’s thought, I decided to listen in on their conversation. I thought it would help to know their true opinions. I needed to know that they hated me just as much as I hated them.

“It’s not in any way reasonable for Karr to accompany you on this mission,” Devon snapped. “He almost killed me just now!” But I hadn’t. I had chosen not to, and yet he still hated me. A small piece of evidence for the hatred they still harboured toward me.  
“But he didn’t,” Michael immediately countered. “From what I’ve seen, Karr isn’t the evil AI we remember.” No! Why couldn’t they all just hate me? It would make everything so much easier.  
“Karr isn’t Kitt!” Devon retorted loudly. A silence settled for a few seconds, before Kitt spoke.  
“You’re right,” Kitt said simply. “Karr is his own person, and I think you need to accept that Devon. He no longer just some ‘enemy’.”  
“Karr is a hazard…” Devon began, only to be interrupted by Kitt.  
“He was,” Kitt told him firmly. “But then, haven’t I been?” Kitt, a hazard? Those were two things that I wouldn’t have put together. Kitt was Wilton Knight’s perfect creation, an improved version of the failed prototype. My replacement.  
“That’s different…” Devon replied.  
“It’s the same, Devon.” Kitt argued. “I could’ve killed people. I could’ve killed Michael. I was trapped by programmed commands.”  
“Kitt…” Michael said, a note of concern in his voice.  
“If Karr is dangerous, then so am I…” Kitt continued.

I decided at this point to interrupt their conversation with my own thoughts on the matter. I started my engine and headed back over to the garage. “Karr?” Kitt questioned over the channel.   
“Not now,” I snapped in reply. The yellow light of my scanner paced back and forth. For a while, nobody spoke.   
“We’ll conclude this discussion later,” Devon informed them, before turning to leave, only to find that I had reversed to block his path.   
“Surely I should have a say?” I told him. “Especially when it’s about me.” Devon nodded once. “I agree with Devon. I was designed with a fundamental flaw,” I informed them. “That will never change.” None of them said a word in response. After a few moments, Devon left, followed by Michael. This left Kitt and I in the garage.  
Kitt’s scanner was slightly dimmed and traced its path back and forth rather slowly. Surely, he couldn’t have been upset by the outcome of the little conversation just now.   
“Karr?” Kitt said.  
“What?”  
“You have a second chance. Don’t throw it away,” he told me, before leaving. 

A second chance? I had a second chance when I was reactivated, and then a third when I was pulled out if the sand on the beach. Surely a fourth would just be excessive. After all, there is a pattern throughout history. It repeats, whether we want it to or not. As much as I want another chance, there is no way that anything will turn out differently. A computer can’t change its programming.


	9. Chapter 9

I remained in the garage for the rest of the afternoon, Kitt’s parting words echoed through my thoughts, splintering any other thought processes. A second chance? As much as I wanted another chance, I knew that there was no possibility that things would turn out differently. I had been granted multiple chances, and each time I had thrown them away. I didn’t deserve another opportunity, as I would never change. I will always be the same. I will always be the failed protype, and there is nothing anyone can do to change that.

Kitt returned at nightfall, for once not attempting to speak to me. I was grateful for that. A lot had happened today, and I had been left more confused than ever. Why had I thrown away the perfect chance for revenge? I had no understanding of why things were happening the way they were. At this point, I didn’t even understand my own mind. 

I headed to the woods as soon as Kitt had shut down, knowing with absolute certainty that my… nightmares, for lack of a better term, would return as soon as I did. Not for the first time, I hesitated. I didn’t want to face the horrors of my nightmares again. Despite knowing they did not in any way cause any threat to me, the very thought of having to go through my memories made me want to drive away as fast as I possibly could, but I can’t. It’s impossible to run away from a part of yourself. With that thought, I resigned myself to my fate and shut down.

My systems came online following the usual sequence of nightmares. Just as I was about to head back to the garage, I realised that I was not alone in the woods. My absence had been noticed. 

After a moment, Kitt found his way into the clearing. “Hello Karr,” Kitt said over the channel.  
“What are you doing here?” I snapped. The whole reason for me being out here was to be alone.   
“I thought I’d see if you were alright,” Kitt replied softly.  
“Why do you care? Why do you want to help me?” I retorted.   
“Why are you so unwilling to accept that others want to help?” Kitt softly replied. I didn’t respond to that. Instead I chose to close the channel and let the silence do the talking for me. There was a short period of silence, before Kitt chose to break it. “I recommend heading back before your absence is noticed by Devon,” he informed me, before leaving the clearing. I hesitated briefly, before following. Although I wanted to be alone, I couldn’t stay here without someone noticing I was gone.

Unfortunately, my return with Kitt was not unnoticed. “Where on Earth have you been?” Devon asked. “You’re supposed to be leaving for your assignment today!”  
“I am aware of that fact,” Kitt told Devon simply.  
“Well then, where were you?” Devon asked again.  
“Since when did you need to know exactly where Kitt is at all times?” Michael questioned, entering the garage.  
“Well… I…” Devon began. He left quickly left after that.

“Ready to go Kitt?” Michael asked  
“Of course Michael,” Kitt replied. I watched as the two of them left, leaving me alone once again. The silence that had settled was almost eerie, although it didn’t last long. Its end was marked by the loud arrival of Devon and a group of technicians. One technician was holding a device that looked as though it was designed to create an electromagnetic pulse. A further scan indicated that my initial conclusions about the device were correct.

“Prepare the semi for transportation,” Devon told one of the technicians who immediately hurried away to do as instructed.  
“What’s going on?” I asked, although in reality I already knew. The lack of an answer only confirmed that. The last thing I remembered was Devon ordering the technician to activate the device. Then there was only darkness.


	10. Chapter 10

My systems gradually came online, but they were sluggish and full of glitches. A quick diagnostic confirmed that the electromagnetic pulse had caused extensive damage to a number of my systems. Fortunately, my scanner was not affected in any way, so I activated it and allowed the yellow light to travel back and forth once before fading to darkness. I didn’t want my activity to be noticed. My surroundings were recognisable to me as the interior of the Foundation’s semi. The engine was running, which meant that I had not yet arrived at whatever destination Devon had in mind for me. I knew that, wherever that was, would not be good.

An hour later, the semi came to a stop, and the doors were opened. I didn’t dare activate my scanner to get an accurate sense of where I was, for the light would be an obvious indicator to anyone nearby that I was online.   
“I want a complete analysis of Karr’s source code, including a rundown of each and every coding error,” I heard Devon say. Why did he want my source code? Surely, he already had a copy of it.  
“Is that all?” an unknown voice answered. I assumed they must be a technician.  
“After that, I want the car dismantled and scrapped. As for the circuitry, I want that completely destroyed. Is that clear?”  
“Yes sir.” 

I was quickly unloaded from the semi, and the sound of its engine alerted me to its swift departure. An irregular beeping informed me of various electrical devices in… wherever I was. If I wanted to keep up the charade of being deactivated, then I needed to give these technicians access to my circuitry, so when I detected someone attempting to open my hood, I allowed it to be opened. When various wires were attached to my memory banks, I did nothing to interfere with their course of action.  
“The transfer is complete,” I heard an unidentifiable voice say.  
“Excellent work everyone,” another unknown said. “Why don’t you all take a break and get back to work later,” they suggested. The wires were quickly disconnected, and soon after, I heard a door slam and the only sound I could detect was the continued beeping of machinery. 

I had heard that I was going to be destroyed, and yet I didn’t want to run. There was no thought process regarding my self-preservation, and yet that was my primary function. My programming dictated that I needed to prioritise my continued existence above anything else, but I wasn’t. The thought of escaping hadn’t even been considered.

“Karr?” Kitt said, opening the channel once again.  
“Yes Kitt?” I replied.  
“Thank goodness you responded. I need your help,” he informed me. “Michael has been kidnapped and I have less than six hours to find him or they’re going to kill him.”  
“Can’t you track the comlink?” I questioned.  
“The signal has been blocked. I’ve tried contacting Devon as well, but I haven’t had any luck.” Kitt wanted my help. Why? Why did he decide that I could be trusted with something as important as helping to save the life of his driver? Immediately, I stopped that thought process in its tracks. My questions could wait.   
“Send me your co-ordinates,” I told Kitt. “I’ll be there as soon as possible.” 

The moment I had received the co-ordinates I switched on my scanner and slammed my hood. I revved my engine and accelerated towards the door of what I now knew was a warehouse, smashing through it as though it was paper. I made my way toward the front gates and various alarms sounded, however they weren’t of any concern to me, for I would be long gone before they would be ready to try to prevent my departure. I picked up speed as I headed towards the nearest highway while plotting the fastest route to Kitt’s location. “ETA twenty-two minutes,” I informed Kitt, accelerating in an attempt to cut that time down. “I need you to give me as much information about the situation as you can.”

Kitt almost instantly sent me a series of photographs. One of which showed a car and, with a bit of image enhancement, the license plate of the vehicle. “Have you had any luck tracking this vehicle?” I asked.   
“I’m afraid not,” Kitt replied. “They quickly went out of scanner range, so I only know the direction…”   
I didn’t hear the rest of Kitt’s sentence, for I detected the car from the photograph travelling along the highway in the opposite direction. I spun around, and turbo boosted over the central barrier, although my landing was less than perfect as there was minor damage to that system.

“I’ve found them,” I informed Kitt. “I’ll send you the coordinates.”  
“I’ll catch up within the next ten minutes,” Kitt said.  
“How?” I asked, for that amount of time was too short according to my calculations.  
“I’ve had a few upgrades since our encounter a couple of years ago.” I chose not to reply to that, instead making sure that the car I was following didn’t get out of scanner range. I would have just locked their brakes, but the system I required for that had been knocked out by the electromagnetic pulse.

The car turned off at the next exit, and I followed a short distance behind. They turned left, entering the grounds of a large mansion. I came to a stop on the side of the road and monitored the area. I couldn’t follow yet without being noticed. Instead I worked on a plan this rescue mission that I now gotten myself involved in. They took Michael into a small structure next to the main building. He was tied up but appeared to be unharmed. I couldn’t perform a medical scan, as that system was non-functional. Outside, there was one guard posted, and there appeared to be no surveillance system installed.

Deciding on my course of action, I quietly made my way up the driveway, before immediately making my way onto the grass, weaving my way through various sprinklers scattered around the entrance. Once I was directly behind the building, I patched into the comlink frequency. “Don’t speak, just listen. There is one guard outside and the door is unlocked. I’m waiting for you behind the building.” Now it was up to him. I could be of more help, but at this point things needed to be handled as subtly as possible. 

Not a moment later, the door opened, creaking as it did so and alerting the guard. I raced around to the front of the building just in time to see the guard sound the alarm. “Get in,” I told Michael, opening the passenger side door. The moment he closed it I headed towards the exit, only to find it blocked by several vehicles armed with machine guns. I couldn’t turbo boost over them because the distance was too far. The surrounding fence was electrified, and due to the damage to my systems, that was also not an option. I was trapped. 

Deciding on the next best course of action, I turned around heading further onto the grounds of the mansion. If I couldn’t leave that way, then I would have to find another path.  
“Karr, I’m here,” Kitt told me. “What’s going on?”  
“Is there an exit other than the main gate?” I asked, ignoring his question.  
“I’m afraid not,” he replied. “I can however create a diversion for you.” I was about to reply, only I found that Kitt had closed the channel.

Almost immediately, I detected that Kitt was behind me. “What are you doing?” I asked speaking aloud.  
“Giving them a new target,” he replied. I quickly set off in the direction of the exit once again. I found it strange how Kitt had so quickly been accepted as a new target, when they knew that I was the one who had their prisoner. 

Just as I was about to reach the gates, I detected an explosive device which was set to explode the moment anything passed through the gate. “You’re on your own now Kitt,” I told him, hoping that he was paying attention to the channel. I ejected Michael out of the car, throwing him onto the grass, before going through the gate. The explosion echoed around me, my molecular bonded shell doing nothing to prevent the fire and heat from tearing me to pieces.


End file.
